{{GovLgov}}{{TOCnestright}}The '''Governor of the State of Wisconsin''' is an elected Constitutional officer, the head of the Executive branch, and the highest state office in [[Wisconsin]]. The Governor is popularly elected every four years by a plurality and has no term limit.

}}{{tnr}}The '''Governor of the State of Wisconsin''' is an elected Constitutional officer, the head of the Executive branch, and the highest state office in [[Wisconsin]]. The Governor is popularly elected every four years by a plurality and has no term limit.

+

{{State trifecta status|state=Wisconsin|control=Republican}}

==Current officer==

==Current officer==

−

The 45th and current governor is [[Scott Walker]], a [[Republican]] elected in 2010.

The 45th and current governor is [[Scott Walker]], a [[Republican]] elected in 2010.

In order to be eligible for the office of governor of Wisconsin, a candidate must be a citizen of the United States and a qualified voter in the state of Wisconsin.

In order to be eligible for the office of governor of Wisconsin, a candidate must be a citizen of the United States and a qualified voter in the state of Wisconsin.

Line 31:

Line 51:

* be convicted of any misdemeanor involving a violation of the public trust

* be convicted of any misdemeanor involving a violation of the public trust

−

==Election==

+

==Elections==

[[Wisconsin]] elects governors in the midterm elections, that is, even years that are not Presidential election years. For Wisconsin, 2006, 2010, 2014, and 2018 are all gubernatorial election years. Legally, the gubernatorial inauguration is always set for the first Monday in the January following an election. Thus, January 3, 2011 and January 5, 2015 are inaugural days.

[[Wisconsin]] elects governors in the midterm elections, that is, even years that are not Presidential election years. For Wisconsin, 2006, 2010, 2014, and 2018 are all gubernatorial election years. Legally, the gubernatorial inauguration is always set for the first Monday in the January following an election. Thus, January 3, 2011 and January 5, 2015 are inaugural days.

Line 40:

Line 60:

Under the original [[Wisconsin Constitution]], governors were elected for a term of two years; in 1967, the constitution was amended to increase the term of office to four years, beginning with the governor elected in the 1970 election. There is no limit to the number of terms a governor may hold.

Under the original [[Wisconsin Constitution]], governors were elected for a term of two years; in 1967, the constitution was amended to increase the term of office to four years, beginning with the governor elected in the 1970 election. There is no limit to the number of terms a governor may hold.

All elected officers are subject to recall, after the first year of their term, by filing a petition with the same officer who accepts the nominating petition for the office in question. For example, as nominating petitions for statewide office are filed with the [[Secretary of State of Wisconsin|Secretary of State]], the petition to recall a statewide officer would also be filed with the Secretary of State.

+

All elected officers are subject to recall, after the first year of their term, by filing a petition with the same officer who accepts the nominating petition for the office in question. For example, as nominating petitions for statewide office are filed with the [[Wisconsin Secretary of State|Secretary of State]], the petition to recall a statewide officer would also be filed with the Secretary of State.

The petition must have valid signatures equal to 25% of the votes cast for the Governor in the city, county, or municipality which the targeted incumbent represents. As the governor ''is'' a statewide office, the petition threshold is 25% of all votes cast for governor in the last election.

The petition must have valid signatures equal to 25% of the votes cast for the Governor in the city, county, or municipality which the targeted incumbent represents. As the governor ''is'' a statewide office, the petition threshold is 25% of all votes cast for governor in the last election.

Line 82:

Line 107:

If the Senate does impeach, the punishment may not extend beyond removal from office and disqualification to hold any other office, honor, or profit in the state. However, an impeached officer may still be liable to indictment, trial, and punishment according to law.

If the Senate does impeach, the punishment may not extend beyond removal from office and disqualification to hold any other office, honor, or profit in the state. However, an impeached officer may still be liable to indictment, trial, and punishment according to law.

+

+

===Partisan composition===

+

The chart below shows the partisan composition of the Office of the Governor of Wisconsin from 1992-2013.<br>

+

+

[[File:Governor of Wisconsin Partisanship.PNG]]

==Vacancies==

==Vacancies==

Line 93:

Line 123:

If a sitting Governor is absent, unable to discharge the office, or impeached, the Lieutenant Governor serves as Acting Governor until the elected Governor returns, recovers, or the impeachment is vacated. The elected Lieutenant Governor may serve as Acting Governor for the remainder of the term.

If a sitting Governor is absent, unable to discharge the office, or impeached, the Lieutenant Governor serves as Acting Governor until the elected Governor returns, recovers, or the impeachment is vacated. The elected Lieutenant Governor may serve as Acting Governor for the remainder of the term.

−

In either case, if the Lieutenant Governor is unable or unwilling to serve as Acting Governor, the [[Secretary of State of Wisconsin|Secretary of State]] is next in the line of succession.

+

In either case, if the Lieutenant Governor is unable or unwilling to serve as Acting Governor, the [[Wisconsin Secretary of State|Secretary of State]] is next in the line of succession.

==Duties==

==Duties==

Line 114:

Line 144:

* Nominating an appointee if the office of the lieutenant governor becomes vacant, subject to confirmation by both the Senate and the General Assembly (Article XIII, § 10)

* Nominating an appointee if the office of the lieutenant governor becomes vacant, subject to confirmation by both the Senate and the General Assembly (Article XIII, § 10)

+

+

==Divisions==

+

{{SEO divisions missing}}

+

+

==State budget==

+

The budget for the Governor's Office in Fiscal Year 2013 was $4,435,800.<ref> [http://www.doa.state.wi.us/debf/docview.asp?budid=74 ''Wisconsin Department of Administration,'' "2013-15 Executive Budget - Office of the Governor," accessed April 3, 2013] </ref>

==Compensation==

==Compensation==

+

::''See also: [[Comparison of gubernatorial salaries]] and [[Compensation of state executive officers]]''

−

:: ''See also: [[Comparison of gubernatorial salaries]]''

The governor's salary is set by law and may not be raised or diminished effective during the current term.

The governor's salary is set by law and may not be raised or diminished effective during the current term.

−

As of 2010, the Governor of Wisconsin is paid [http://sunshinereview.org/index.php/Wisconsin_state_government_salary $137,092] a year, the 24th highest gubernatorial salary in America.

+

===2013===

+

In 2013, the governor's salary remained at $144,423.<ref>[http://knowledgecenter.csg.org/drupal/content/csg-releases-2013-governor-salaries ''Council of State Governments,'' "CSG Releases 2013 Governor Salaries," June 25, 2013]</ref>

+

+

===2012===

+

In 2012, the Wisconsin Governor was paid an estimated [[Compensation of state executive officers|$144,423]]. This figure comes from the [[Council of State Governments]].

+

+

==Historical officeholders==

+

There have been 45 governors of Wisconsin since 1848. Of the 45 officeholders, 31 were Republican, 11 were Democrats, 1 was Democratic/Independent, 1 was a Progressive, and 1 was a Whig.<ref>[http://www.nga.org/cms/FormerGovBios?begincac77e09-db17-41cb-9de0-687b843338d0=0&higherOfficesServed=&lastName=&sex=Any&honors=&submit=Search&college=&state=43249f15-2c7a-45e3-855a-9b8be7a7d44d&party=&inOffice=Any&biography=&race=Any&religion=&birthState=Any&militaryService=&firstName=&nbrterms=Any&warsServed=&&pagesizecac77e09-db17-41cb-9de0-687b843338d0=50 ''National Governors Association,'' "Former governors of Wisconsin," accessed June 12, 2013]</ref>

From 1992-2013, in Wisconsin there were Democratic governors in office for eight years while there were Republican governors in office for 14 years, including the last three. Wisconsin was under Republican [[trifectas]] for the last three years of the study period.

+

+

Across the country, there were 493 years of Democratic governors (44.82%) and 586 years of Republican governors (53.27%) from 1992-2013.

+

+

Over the course of the 22-year study, state governments became increasingly more partisan. At the outset of the study period (1992), 18 of the 49 states with partisan legislatures had single-party trifectas and 31 states had divided governments. In 2013, only 13 states have divided governments, while single-party trifectas held sway in 36 states, the most in the 22 years studied.

+

+

The chart below shows the partisan composition of the [[Governor of Wisconsin|Office of the Governor of Wisconsin]], the [[Wisconsin State Senate]] and the [[Wisconsin House of Representatives]] from 1992-2013.

+

[[File:Partisan composition of Wisconsin state government(1992-2013).PNG]]

The Governor of the State of Wisconsin is an elected Constitutional officer, the head of the Executive branch, and the highest state office in Wisconsin. The Governor is popularly elected every four years by a plurality and has no term limit.

Qualifications

In order to be eligible for the office of governor of Wisconsin, a candidate must be a citizen of the United States and a qualified voter in the state of Wisconsin.

Additionally general requirements to hold office in Wisconsin stipulate that no candidate may:

hold any office, honor or profit under any foreign power

hold any federal office

be a convicted felon

be convicted of any misdemeanor involving a violation of the public trust

Elections

Wisconsin elects governors in the midterm elections, that is, even years that are not Presidential election years. For Wisconsin, 2006, 2010, 2014, and 2018 are all gubernatorial election years. Legally, the gubernatorial inauguration is always set for the first Monday in the January following an election. Thus, January 3, 2011 and January 5, 2015 are inaugural days.

The governor of Wisconsin is elected in a direct election—the candidate with the most votes becomes governor. In the event that two candidates receive an equal number of votes which is higher than that received by any other candidate, the members of the state legislature vote between the two at their next session.

History

Under the original Wisconsin Constitution, governors were elected for a term of two years; in 1967, the constitution was amended to increase the term of office to four years, beginning with the governor elected in the 1970 election. There is no limit to the number of terms a governor may hold.

Term limits

Removal

The governor may be removed from office through an impeachment trial or through a recall election.

Four governors have resigned for various reasons, and none have been removed from office through impeachment.

However, Arthur MacArthur, Sr., who, as lieutenant governor, became governor upon the resignation of William Barstow, was removed after the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that Barstow's opponent in the election, Coles Bashford, was the election's legitimate winner. Bashford initially won by 157 votes and was later found to have forged election returns from non-existent precincts.

Recall

All elected officers are subject to recall, after the first year of their term, by filing a petition with the same officer who accepts the nominating petition for the office in question. For example, as nominating petitions for statewide office are filed with the Secretary of State, the petition to recall a statewide officer would also be filed with the Secretary of State.

The petition must have valid signatures equal to 25% of the votes cast for the Governor in the city, county, or municipality which the targeted incumbent represents. As the governor is a statewide office, the petition threshold is 25% of all votes cast for governor in the last election.

Currently, that number would be 540,208, or 25% of 2,160,832, the total ballots cast in the 2010 gubernatorial race.

If the petition is valid, the filing officer must call a recall election for the Tuesday of the 6th week after the petition is filed. If that Tuesday is a legal holiday, the recall election is held the next day.

An incumbent under recall holds his or her office and carries out the duties until the results of the recall are declared. Unless a recalled incumbent declines to run within ten days of the recall election being called, the incumbent is assumed to have declared for the race.

For a partisan office, such as the Governor, a recall primary is held for each party legally entitled to a separate ballot. if a recall primary is called, it is on the same date as the recall primary.

If the recall fails, the incumbent may not be recalled again for the remainder of his or her term.

Impeachment

An impeachment trial is carried out by the Wisconsin State Assembly, if a majority of its members agree to the impeachment. A governor may also choose to resign from office.

The court of impeachment for a civil officer is the Wisconsin State Senate, a super majority of whose members must agree to impeach. Before the impeachment begins, each Senator must take an oath of impartiality.

Though the Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin is Constitutionally the President of the Senate, she or he may not act as an officer of the court when the officer being impeached is the Governor.

If the Senate does impeach, the punishment may not extend beyond removal from office and disqualification to hold any other office, honor, or profit in the state. However, an impeached officer may still be liable to indictment, trial, and punishment according to law.

Partisan composition

The chart below shows the partisan composition of the Office of the Governor of Wisconsin from 1992-2013.

Vacancies

If a sitting Governor dies, resigns, or is removed, the Lieutenant Governor becomes Governor for the remainder of the term.

If a sitting Governor is absent, unable to discharge the office, or impeached, the Lieutenant Governor serves as Acting Governor until the elected Governor returns, recovers, or the impeachment is vacated. The elected Lieutenant Governor may serve as Acting Governor for the remainder of the term.

In either case, if the Lieutenant Governor is unable or unwilling to serve as Acting Governor, the Secretary of State is next in the line of succession.

Duties

The governor of Wisconsin is responsible for ensuring that the laws of Wisconsin are carried out (§ 4), and is also required to "communicate to the legislature, at every session, the condition of the state, and recommend such matters to them for their consideration as he may deem expedient" (§ 4).

The governor is the commander-in-chief of the militia of the state (§ 4). If it is deemed necessary, the governor may also convene extraordinary sessions of the state legislature (§ 4). The governor has the power to pardon or commute sentences or grant reprieves, except in cases of treason or impeachment (§ 6).

Other duties and privileges of the office include:

Vetoing bills, including appropriations, subject to a majority override of the legislature and provided the Governor does not alter the meaning of a bill or a word in it by striking out individual letters (§ 10)

Reconvening the legislature away from the seat of government in the case of emergency, attack, or epidemic (§ 4)

Transacting all civil and military business of the state and expediting all measures resolved upon by the legislature (§ 4)

Issuing writs of election to fill vacancies in either chamber of the legislature (Article IV, § 14)

Making appointments to fill any vacancy on the Wisconsin Supreme Court or or any Court of Record (Article VII, § 9)

Nominating an appointee if the office of the lieutenant governor becomes vacant, subject to confirmation by both the Senate and the General Assembly (Article XIII, § 10)

Divisions

Note: Ballotpedia's state executive officials project researches state official websites for information that describes the divisions (if any exist) of a state executive office. That information for the Governor of Wisconsin has not yet been added. After extensive research we were unable to identify any relevant information on state official websites. If you have any additional information about this office for inclusion on this section and/or page, please email us.

State budget

The budget for the Governor's Office in Fiscal Year 2013 was $4,435,800.[1]

History

Partisan balance 1992-2013

From 1992-2013, in Wisconsin there were Democratic governors in office for eight years while there were Republican governors in office for 14 years, including the last three. Wisconsin was under Republican trifectas for the last three years of the study period.

Across the country, there were 493 years of Democratic governors (44.82%) and 586 years of Republican governors (53.27%) from 1992-2013.

Over the course of the 22-year study, state governments became increasingly more partisan. At the outset of the study period (1992), 18 of the 49 states with partisan legislatures had single-party trifectas and 31 states had divided governments. In 2013, only 13 states have divided governments, while single-party trifectas held sway in 36 states, the most in the 22 years studied.